Buyers And Sellers Dollars
Apart On Plains Fed Cattle

Midweek came and went without a hint of activity in the Plains fed cattle trade. Buyers and sellers were as much as $4 apart, the former bidding $64 and the latter seeking $67 to $68.

Observers foresaw little chance of movement until at least Thursday and possibly even Friday.

The Texas Panhandle area tallied numbers for the week at 49,700 head, each and every one a captive. The showlist stood at 85,442, up 7305 from last week, but many of those cattle were considered green.

Kansas counted 21,300 head, virtually all captives, as in Texas. Nebraska sold a meager 1500 head Wednesday and 18,000 through midweek, the later sales at $103-104 dressed.

Midwest direct areas were untested, but terminal markets were steady to 50 cents lower at $62-66.

A few loads of mostly Select steers destined for Mexico sold in the Southern California desert area at $66-66.50, but the Southwest was otherwise quiet. Moderate trade in the Northwest was 50 cents to $2 higher at mostly $104-104.50 dressed.

Stocker and feeder cattle prices were generally firm to higher across the country where Labor Day didn't interfere with trade.

St. Joseph, Mo., was one of the latter cases; its Monday business was held over until Wednesday and pushed feeder cattle trading past presstime. A roundup of four Florida auctions reported steady prices on 5134 head. La Junta, Colo. offered 2158 head and saw prices $2-3 higher on five to seven-weight steers and heifers, yearlings $1-2 higher.

In Texas, Crockett termed 2116 head firm to $2 higher on weights under 500 pounds, heavier weights steady to $1 higher. San Antonio was another Labor Day casualty, but a smattering of trade on Wednesday showed a mostly steady trend, some heifers $2-3 higher. An exception to the general drift, Amarillo counted 1932 head at $1-3 lower rates on weights under 700 pounds, $1-2 lower bids on heavier kinds.

The biggest holiday hit was at Oklahoma City, where receipts of 1550 head were too light to test trends or provide viable quotes in most weight ranges. Best four-weight steer calves brought $98, a set at 465 pounds $85, another at 505 pounds $83.25, and 675-700 pounders $74.50-75.25.